Steven Tyler Opens Janie’s House Shelter for Abused Women in Memphis

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler cut the ribbon scarf on the Memphis location of Janie's House on Tuesday (Feb. 4) — a safe haven for neglected abused women to receive therapy and other support. The rocker-turned-sometimes-country-singer contributed $500,000 to the cause and helped with the renovation.

The new location — the second of its kind after last year's Atlanta opening — is in Youth Village's Bartlett, Tenn., campus and will serve fourteen girls at a time and about thirty in total, annually. Tyler launched the organization Janie's Fund as a means of raising money for women in need. Both the organization and the shelters are named for Aerosmith's 1989 hit "Janie's Got a Gun."

At the cutting ceremony to officially dedicate and open the house, Tyler even shared his personal history with drug abuse and how the therapy helped him. He spoke about how Aerosmith's hit inspired him to make a difference in at least one person's life. Women also spoke and shared their struggles with abuse and neglect.

"Janie's Got a Gun" tells the story of a woman who gets revenge on her abusive father, and Tyler says he has long wanted to do something to help women in real-life abusive situations. To date, Janie's Fund has raised almost five million dollars.

The second-annual Janie's Fund Grammy Awards Viewing Party will take place during the Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 in Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles, and funds raised will benefit Janie's Fund. The event will be hosted by Jane Lynch and even include a performance from Aerosmith.